Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: willo on May 11, 2006, 02:16:02 PM

Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: willo on May 11, 2006, 02:16:02 PM
Hey guys, don't hear much talk of these amps around. But for a while I've been wanting a little more from my JCM800 - I veer between playing all different things, and the JCM800 is awesome at what it does, but it's not so versatile.

So I've been looking at alternatives for quite a while, and a few months back I stumbled across an ad for the H&K Trilogy, and then of course, a bit later it got reviewed in Guitarist. I think it sounds great, but if I want to buy one, I'll have to travel up to my nearest stockist (in Scotland) this summer to try it out.

I was wondering if anyone has any opinions on H&K on here?
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: PhilKing on May 11, 2006, 02:35:22 PM
We had them on the stand at LGS.  Tim's Zakk Wylde's blew them away, but a lot of people still liked them.  For me they gave a lot of sounds, but didn't excel at anything.  I thought they were a bit generic.  Of course it is hard to tell at the show because your ears are shot after a few hours, and there are so many people trying everything.  But I would go with a Matamp for versatility an tone if you can.  I am getting my first one this week!  I think I eventually want a 1224 - the latest version with all the options, but that will have to wait a little bit, so I am getting a Mini-Mat for now!
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: Davey on May 11, 2006, 03:06:28 PM
jack of all trades, master of none comes to mind.
and yes, the ZW blew the out of the water



man, the 1224 mkII is WAY too complicated for me!


i wish matamp had something for the middle ground.. between a minimat and a gt1

ya know.. 30w, full EQ, gain, master volume, voice, tube selector.. the full shebang.

enjoy the minimat man :D

oh, what do we have here. the kingstreet hmmm
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: math2014 on May 11, 2006, 09:09:06 PM
why is the 1224 complicated?

PhilKing did you like the 1224?
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: Davey on May 11, 2006, 09:14:58 PM
it has a ton of options, you can switch it from class a to a/b, you can drive it on 1, 2 or 4 tubes, change voicings, mix em up in any way you like and thats not even half of it lol

insane amp, but i like single channel amps, or two chanels the most with a master volume.
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: steve on May 11, 2006, 09:45:24 PM
Aah the old Huge Kettles, i like them! They have their own vibe going on and i have heard some excellent tones out of them. Their demo guy who always plays a strat (i think hes german) always makes them sound good.
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: Johnny Mac on May 11, 2006, 10:21:51 PM
I think my Koch Powertone II sounds wicked but they are a hard to get hold of. There less complicated than those H&K amps though but mega versatile. You could modify your JCM 800 like the ZW model, like the others said they sound brilliant.
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: _tom_ on May 11, 2006, 10:24:00 PM
Quote from: Johnny Mac
I think my Koch Powertone II sounds wicked but they are a hard to get hold of. There less complicated than those H&K amps though but mega versatile.


I'm listening to a clip of their Pedaltone from an old issue of Guitarist on the demo cd, sounds GREAT! I'll have to upload it or something so you can tell me if the real amps sound anything like it  :D
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: Johnny Mac on May 11, 2006, 10:27:43 PM
Quote from: _tom_
Quote from: Johnny Mac
I think my Koch Powertone II sounds wicked but they are a hard to get hold of. There less complicated than those H&K amps though but mega versatile.


I'm listening to a clip of their Pedaltone from an old issue of Guitarist on the demo cd, sounds GREAT! I'll have to upload it or something so you can tell me if the real amps sound anything like it  :D


The pedal tone is a valve pre-amp but if it's made by them it would sound good! Yes bung it up if you can!

I can't understand why they wern't at the LGS. They were supposed to be there and I was looking forward to Ben's opinion on them.
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: _tom_ on May 11, 2006, 10:57:58 PM
Here it is on my soundclick.. sounds bloody GREAT when it gets into it (the overdriven tones!)


www.soundclick.com/tomrogersuk , then the koch clip obviously
 :lol:

Now.. do the amps get this tone?!
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: willo on May 11, 2006, 11:10:39 PM
Quote from: steve
Aah the old Huge Kettles, i like them! They have their own vibe going on and i have heard some excellent tones out of them. Their demo guy who always plays a strat (i think hes german) always makes them sound good.


Yeah, I'm very interested because the samples I've heard sound pretty damn good. I need something that can go from real nice cleans to heavy distortion and deal a nice crunch tone in between.

My JCM is just a combo, I'm looking to get a head here...

The Koch's look interesting, but again, it would be another journey to the other end of the country for me to check it out.

Musically I play a lot of standard rocky stuff, Jane's Addiction and so on, but I also tinker around with some wierdo jazzy stuff (hence the cleans), and bash around to some Vai and Tool (e.g. heavy tones) - so the H&K looks like it can cover that all, with an FX loop too. I'm not too sure the Matamp could do all those bases.
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: Johnny Mac on May 12, 2006, 09:42:43 PM
Quote from: _tom_
Here it is on my soundclick.. sounds bloody GREAT when it gets into it (the overdriven tones!)


www.soundclick.com/tomrogersuk , then the koch clip obviously
 :lol:

Now.. do the amps get this tone?!


Sounds great! Yes in a word but not with the pups I'm using. Was that a strat?
Title: Hughes & Kettner
Post by: _tom_ on May 12, 2006, 09:58:07 PM
No idea to be honest.. sounds awesome though. I really want a Koch! Great play on words aswell :lol: Erlend_G and I have made up so many Koch related puns/jokes over msn  :P